Tea plays an important role in many cultures, from being part of religious ceremonies in Japan, to being a daily ritual for people in England. A new documentary explores how the drink affects the lives of millions of people. Sun Li reports in Xiamen, Fujian province.

Chinese people started to drink tea 2,000 years ago and The Classic of Tea, written by Lu Yu (AD 733-804) in the eighth century, elevated the humble beverage to an important part of Chinese culture. It is said tea was introduced to India in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) and later spread around the world.

A new six-part documentary, Tea, The Story of a Leaf, explores how the universally loved and widely consumed beverage affects people's lives around the world. It premiered on CCTV-1 on Nov 18 and is now being aired on CCTV-9, the documentary channel.